Chelsea FC manager Jose Mourinho has taken a dig at Arsene Wenger, ahead of their Community Shield match this weekend.
The Special One, has got the better of Wenger on more than one occasion, and has been involved in many heated verbal exchanges with the Frenchman. The Portuguese even went as far as describing the 65-year-old to be a “Specialist in failure” and a “voyeur.”
Mourinho’s sly dig at Arsene Wenger
Mourinho, in his latest rant, trying to wind oppositions, has launched a tirade on the spending of his rivals, having earlier said, that his rivals are trying to “buy the title”, but has now gone a step ahead and pointed out to Arsene, that Chelsea FC won the title last season, despite spending less money than Arsenal FC.
Speaking to the Telegraph, he said: a If you add up the amounts the clubs have spent in the last three or four years I think maybe you will find a surprise.
a Get a calculator. That is one of the easiest things to do. It leaves no space for speculation. If you want to be honest, objective and pragmatic it is the easiest job for a manager or a journalist to do.
a They have bought a fantastic goalkeeper and that is a position which is very important in a team.
a If you put Ozil plus Sanchez, plus Chambers, plus Debuchy you will maybe find a surprise.a
The period that Mourinho is referring to is the last 12 months, during the course of which The Gunners have spent more than A?100 million on the signings of Alexis Sanchez, Calum Chambers, Danny Welbeck, Mathieu Debuchy, Gabriel and most recently Chelsea FC’s legendary goal-keeper Petr Cech.
In contrast The Blues have spent only A?82 million during the same period. Mourinho who is currently trying to bring highly-rated Everton defender John Stones to Chelsea FC, for a fee in the region of A?30 million, is of the opinion that the Arsenal FC . boss has escaped the scrutiny of the press and fans, for having missed out on the title, despite his huge outlay last season.
Mourinho added:a Ita s a fantastic squad with good players, fantastic goalkeeper. They are more than ready to be title contenders.
a Everyone of us should expect to win the title. We have five teams who will play for the title, only one will win and one of us will be playing Europa League in two years.
a That is the reality, five teams for four Champions League positions, only one will be champion and one in Europa League.a
Mourinho has so far spent only A?8 million for the signing of second-choice goalkeeper Asmir Begovic from Stoke City, while Manchester United flop, Radamel Falcao has joined the club on a season long loan from AS Monaco. However, the Blues are reportedly close to spending circa A?20 million for the transfer of Augsburg left-back Abdul Baba Rahman, and intend to spend in excess of A?30 million for the services of 21-year-old defender John Stones.
Is Mourinho’s rant over spending justified?
Following his claims, that his rivals are trying to ‘buy the title’, while he works on a shoe string budget, there have been reports showing the spending of the Portuguese, since his arrival at Chelsea FC in 2004, which in hindsight to the whole rant, gives us ‘a surprise’ in the words of The Special One.
With the help of a ‘calculator’, off-course, it has been determined, that in the past 11 years, since his first arrival at Chelsea FC, the Portuguese is the highest spending manager in the World, spending close to A?1 billion during the said period. Not only that, with the help of the very same ‘calculator’, it has also been determined, that since Chelsea FC’s take-over in 2004 by billionaire Roman Abramovich, the Blues are only second to Manchester City in spending.
The club, have however, reduced their exorbitant spending in the last season or so, but that does not change years of continuous spending, and the improvement of squad quality purchased with it over-time. In light, of the not so obvious conclusions, the words of The Special One, should be taken with a pinch of salt, as always.